Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 923

Whirr!

Yeon Ho-jeong’s attacks, a seamless flow of Golden Dragon True Fist and Golden Dragon Sky Piercer, moved as naturally as water.

Thud! Thud!

The Formless Demonic Illusion, which had concentrated demonic energy to the point of distorting space, shattered helplessly.

Flash! Flash!

Their eyes blazed simultaneously.

The instant Muk Bi attempted to use the Demonic Eye of No Form, Yeon Ho-jeong’s Deathly Godly Eyes activated on their own, blocking the superior divine energy that surged forth.

Though a superior martial art with a completely different effect, the transcendent power of their clash was equal.

Muk Bi’s will was strong, and Yeon Ho-jeong’s was no less so. They both knew they could no longer afford to waste time. Each had staked everything on annihilating the other, reaching the peak of their concentration.

Thwack!

Muk Bi’s fingertip grazed Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.

Surprise flickered in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes. He immediately lowered his stance and unleashed a Sky Piercer force at point-blank range.

Bang!

Muk Bi, sent flying back three yards, wore a distorted expression.

He had closed the distance in an instant using Ghostly Steps pushed to their limit, launching a surprise attack. As the density of the demonic energy protecting his body decreased, he suffered considerable damage from the opponent’s force.

But it was acceptable. His insides burned, but he could endure this much.

Then, Yeon Ho-jeong appeared on his left side.

‘Amazing.’

The fist he threw was imbued with the power of an erupting volcano.

Now he had a sense of how much power he needed to block the attack. With the same amount of power, he would be pierced through without a doubt. He needed at least half again as much power to neutralize Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial arts.

Thwack!

Muk Bi, having blocked Yeon Ho-jeong’s fist, immediately poured in even stronger power and launched an attack.

Clang!

For the first time, Yeon Ho-jeong’s body was pushed back.

The difference of one move was not simply about having a higher quality of internal energy or being better at using superior battle techniques. It meant being superior to the opponent in all areas, including the quality and quantity of internal energy, the way martial arts were implemented, and the ability to perceive.

Muk Bi finally realized. Yeon Ho-jeong was indeed a natural enemy, but that was only when considering the martial arts they had learned.

A master who had become one with martial arts, transcending even the concept of martial arts, should be able to overcome any disadvantageous situation, even if it was a clash of opposites.

Swoosh!

Muk Bi’s body, which had plunged towards Yeon Ho-jeong’s chest, suddenly lowered.

His movements, already fast, became even faster. Yeon Ho-jeong’s knee flew like a fire bullet from a cannon, aiming for Muk Bi’s face.

Bang!

The knee and palm, true energy clashing against true energy, created a powerful shockwave. The ground within a five-yard radius caved in, naturally shaking both of their forms.

At that moment, Muk Bi’s eyes flashed.

Swoosh!

Yeon Ho-jeong, trying to straighten his posture, suddenly felt an invisible, immense force pressing down on his body.

It was pressure not imbued with demonic energy. If his body was filled with Yellow Dragon energy, he could easily tear through it, but the problem was that it was an unexpected blow.

‘This is?!’

Boom!

Muk Bi’s Formless Demonic Illusion Palm, which had not missed the opening, struck Yeon Ho-jeong’s chest directly.

It was the first direct hit Muk Bi had landed in this battle. Yeon Ho-jeong, spitting out blood, slid back five yards, scraping the ground.

‘As expected!’

Whack!

Having landed the attack, he gave no room for a counterattack.

Approaching with the Ghostly Eighteen Steps, he launched a series of attacks with the Formless Right Fist and Formless Demonic Illusion Palm. Just as Yeon Ho-jeong had unleashed the Golden Dragon’s Might, he too was driving his fists and palms with lightning-like true energy.

Thwack! Thwack!

Yeon Ho-jeong was constantly pushed back.

The Yellow Dragon Divine King Art was the opposite of the Formless Demonic Illusion Art, so it was definitely breaking down and blocking the incoming force, but the shockwaves had to be endured by Yeon Ho-jeong.

‘It’s over, you bastard!’

Muk Bi’s fingertips shot out, aiming for Yeon Ho-jeong’s Adam’s apple in an instant.

That was when it happened.

‘……?!’

In a fleeting moment, Muk Bi realized that Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes were too calm.

A moment of tilted victory. That was what a fight was like. With one opening, one mistake, everything could be lost. That was the essence of a life-or-death struggle.

But why were Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes so calm? No matter how he looked at it, they were not the eyes of someone facing death.

Muk Bi instinctively felt a threat.

It was not a trick using the divine energy of the superior battle. Yeon Ho-jeong’s calmness, the nerves of the experienced Muk Bi, were telling him. That this situation was not normal.

‘Withdraw!’

Whoosh!

As he withdrew the attack he had launched with all his might, a powerful shockwave occurred due to the movement exceeding the speed of sound.

Thwack!

The two spat out blood and retreated backward. The extreme internal energy barrier safely protected their bodies. The inside was shaken by the force of the shockwave itself, but this was not enough to diminish their fighting ability.

“Why?”

Yeon Ho-jeong said, wiping the blood from his mouth.

“Am I that scary?”

“……As if.”

Rumble!

The scenery around Muk Bi distorted wildly. He had pulled the Formless Demonic Illusion Art to its full power.

“I’ll finish you quickly.”

Whoosh!

There was no need to test the waters any longer. Muk Bi, flying straight forward, raised his left hand to the sky and pulled his right hand behind his waist to charge.

Thud!

In an instant, Yeon Ho-jeong’s body faltered once again.

It was not the pressure of the demonic energy of the Formless Demonic Illusion Art. It was the Demonic Pressure Wall of the Formless Demonic Illusion Art, taking only the formula of that energy technique and using it to press down on the area around where the opponent was standing with powerful pressure.

Since it was not operated with demonic energy, he would not be able to move as freely as before. Muk Bi was certain that he could end his opponent’s life this time, seeing Yeon Ho-jeong’s form falter for a moment.

‘It’s over!’

That was the moment he was about to unleash the strongest killing move of the Formless Right Fist.

‘……!!’

The speed had slowed down.

He could not tell if the world had slowed down, or if only his body and perception had slowed down. What was important was that it was not the speed he had intended.

‘Why?!’

In that moment, Muk Bi saw a strange expression on Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.

An expression close to a smile. It was an expression that was hard to define, whether he was amazed by himself or impressed, he did not know.

Soon, horror dawned on Muk Bi’s face.

A powerful golden energy began to gather in Yeon Ho-jeong’s left hand. The golden energy, creating a whirlwind, boasted a density he had never seen before.

‘Could this be?!’

Yeon Ho-jeong took a step forward.

Even though it was an enormous stride, no sound was heard.

Muk Bi withdrew the Formless Right Fist and transformed it into a Demonic Illusion Palm. But it was not easy.

The true energy that had been moving through his body’s acupoints at lightning speed was being cut off. The power of the Demonic Illusion Art would stay in his palm and then disappear.

The flow of true energy itself could not be maintained. He had not been directly hit by the opponent’s attack, but his whole body felt heavy and his movements became sluggish.

‘Demonic Pressure Wall!!’

The Golden Dragon Sky Piercer broke Muk Bi’s right hand, which was trying to block his chest, and exploded.

Boom!

Muk Bi, sent flying with a roar, crashed through a building ten yards away.

Flash!

Yeon Ho-jeong’s form had already appeared on the opposite side of the building.

It was a divine technique of movement that far exceeded imagination. It was faster than the Vermillion Bird Art’s Blood Wing Sky Dance before it evolved into the Yellow Dragon Divine King Art.

In fact, Yeon Ho-jeong did not need a faster speed. Even without increasing his speed, the overflowing Yellow Dragon energy was binding his opponent’s feet to the ground.

In the future, he would probably not have to endure extreme internal energy consumption for the sake of excessive speed. However, the reason he was moving at this speed now was thanks to an enlightenment he had gained in an instant.

Muk Bi, staggering from the impact of breaking through the building, felt a pain as if every bone in his body was about to break.

But what was even more chilling was the enemy’s energy he felt behind him.

‘This can’t be!’

When had he arrived here?

It was faster than the Ghostly Eighteen Steps. It was not just one level higher, it was much faster. It was hard to believe that this was a speed that could be achieved with a human body.

Muk Bi hurriedly turned his body and swung his fist.

Thud!

A sound like an illusion was heard.

The fist, which had been moving in a straight line, began to descend. The speed also slowed down.

Yeon Ho-jeong, already at Muk Bi’s side, unleashed a merciless leg technique towards his abdomen.

Bang! Rumble!

Muk Bi, pushed back, carving a deep groove in the ground, spat out a large amount of blood.

It felt like his internal organs were in ruins. Demonic energy was flowing in reverse, turning his body’s acupoints upside down.

‘This!’

Muk Bi endured the chilling pain and placed his hand on the ground.

The moment he tried to straighten his back and prepare for the next attack.

Thwack!

With a horrifying sound of flesh tearing, his right arm was ripped off from the shoulder.

Muk Bi, having lost his balance, fell backward.

“Hah! Hah!”

Muk Bi’s face was pale.

Even his breathing was disrupted for a moment. Once his breathing was ruined, it would not return to normal even if he used his energy.

The circulation of his internal energy was getting slower and slower. The true energy that had been cut off was repeating its circulation and reverse circulation in various acupoints.

Muk Bi stared blankly at Yeon Ho-jeong.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s complexion was not good either. But compared to Muk Bi, he was in a state that could be considered perfectly fine.

“You……?”

“One mistake, one surprise attack, one opening.”

“…….”

“The scales of victory tilt in an instant, don’t they?”

Muk Bi shouted, spitting out blood.

“You! How do you know about the Demonic Pressure Wall?!”

“So that’s what it was?”

“Could it be… you knew about the Formless Demonic Illusion Art?”

Yeon Ho-jeong drew various shapes in the air with his fingers.

“You were using a bizarre trick. Pressure, or should I call it gravity? It presses down on a certain area with strong pressure to block or slow down movement…….”

“……!”

“I’ve used similar tricks before, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a powerful force that can work even against the supreme masters. It was amazing.”

Muk Bi’s eyes widened as if they would tear.

“You copied that in this short moment?!”

That was right.

The reason why Muk Bi’s form had slowed down when he was attacking Yeon Ho-jeong, and why his attacks had slowed down.

Furthermore, the reason why Yeon Ho-jeong was able to move at a transcendent speed for a moment was all because he had applied the Demonic Pressure Wall technique.

“That’s impossible! How could you……!”

“It’s probably not as powerful as yours. But it seems to have worked much stronger because you were the opponent.”

“……!”

“There’s room for improvement, but I can’t make it any stronger. This is the limit. Well, if I could press down with a stronger pressure than this, that would truly be the power of a god.”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“However, I think I can incorporate it into the core of my martial arts, like the Tai Chi Force Emission of the Wudang Sect [a famous martial arts school]. Unlike you, who manipulated the pressure in the openings you deliberately showed.”

“You, you bastard!”

“It seems I still have room for improvement. Martial arts are perfect in themselves, but I haven’t yet reached the level that matches the level of martial arts.”

Whoosh!

Muk Bi’s form slowly floated into the air.

It was a powerful telekinesis. Muk Bi, whose whole body was broken, could not even resist.

“It was a good fight. Thanks to you, I had a good experience.”

Bloodshot veins appeared in Muk Bi’s eyes.

“You will kneel before our sect. You will!”

Yeon Ho-jeong silently swung his fist.

Crack!

Muk Bi’s body, with its head blown off, fell to the ground.

“Hoo.”

Yeon Ho-jeong knelt down.

He did not have many injuries, but his head was spinning from the intense battle of wits, more so than ever before.

‘If I hadn’t studied the rotational force of the Tai Chi Force Emission and the pressure control formula within that rotation, I wouldn’t have dared to imitate it. Demonic arts are the epitome of the unorthodox path, but there were such high-level martial arts as well.’

Yeon Ho-jeong clenched his fist.

‘I’ll take it all.’

Thud!

He stood up again and turned his eyes to the battlefield of his companions in the distance.

It was time for the cleanup.